Games Retail Guide 2011

The online specialist runs several white label sites for online retailers including Tesco, LoveFilm and Asda. Its own sites – such as zavvi.com and thehut.com – stock a variety of products.

The Hut Group’s games buying team has grown from six to eight individuals over the past 12 months, with Ed Leighton joining as head of games hardware and Alex Dantanus appointed games product marketing executive. Sarah Jasper has become head of business development.

Grainger Games is the UK’s fastest growing independent games retailer. It has more than doubled its store count in the space of a year from 28 to a whopping 64 in the North of England.

The retailer has expanded its commercial department from three to seven, which is headed up by long-term employee and head of buying Chris Harwood. He has been with the firm for ten years. Grainger also now has its own dedicated online and digital team.

The chain won the Independent Retailer MCV Award in 2008 and 2010. It stocks a wide range of games at competitive prices. Today it is more like a larger national chain than a traditional independent.

Indie CHIPS is one of the longest-running video game indie chains having started in the mid ‘80s. Chipsworld entered liquidation last year but joint MDs Don McCabe and Nik Agar formed a new company – Darkplains Limited – and reopened several Chips sites. The franchise side of the business – Chips Franchise Ltd – was unaffected.

Its store count has dropped by eight year-on-year, with 18 outlets still in operation (including company-owned and franchised stores).

MCV is the leading trade news and community site for all professionals working within the UK and international video games market. It reaches everyone from store manager to CEO, covering the entire industry. MCV is published by NewBay Media, which specialises in entertainment, leisure and technology markets.